It took Marduk and Lappe almost three days to reach the area township of King Garum which consisted of a large circular array of buildings around a large stone plateau with an enormous scaled beast atop it. The monster had seven horned draconic heads with a body of deep brownish-green scales, far from the outside of the circular town was a mound, at first Marduk thought it was a hill of some kind or an overgrown ruins, but he soon realised it was the Dragon he had come to see.
“That is a Hydra.” He stated in a deadpan tone as a rising trepidation chilled his heart.
‘I think that Hydra Aodh was talking about finally won’
“That it is, will that be an issue for you?” Lappe asked curiously from his side.
“I… Don’t know, or I won’t until I speak with them.” The Saurian responded, sighing as he pushed past the realisation that he would have to be near a Hydra strong enough to kill a dragon.
It was only after they reached the actual township that he realised he had no clue whether or not the Hydra could talk.
The town was full of mostly mud brick homes with thatch roofs with little in the way of wooden homes, likely because it was so far between the town and the forests. Many of the people walking about looked to be Krijn and Lamia, both peoples had varying degrees of tan skin, different shades of brown hair and almost all of the half snake people sported long black tails with a strip of copper colour along the top with varying designs along the scales in lighter tones.
He never expected to run into such a large population of either people, but he thought it an interesting match.
It wasn’t two minutes after he and Lappe set foot on the clay tiled street that started barely a hundred metres from the first building that a male Krijn approached them with two Lamia men following behind them. All three were dressed in thin woollen shawls and skirts held with leather drawstring belts holding knives and a few small sacks, in their hands were wooden polearms with bronze tips.
“Does it speak our tongue?” The Krijn asked Lappe, ignoring the giant Saurian.
“He does, yes.” The grey haired man replied, earning a raised brow from the stout man as they stared up at Marduk.
“It’s true, I can speak Auran.” He said finding his sardonic bone.
“Is it getting snarky with me?” The man sneered.
“We’ve come to see the new King.” Marduk interjected hoping to skip the part where they were hazed.
“What business do you have with King Tiamat?”
“A conversation.” The Saurian replied flatly.
“Tch, alright you’re welcome to enter Atohl, but you will be watched.” The Krijn grumbled and turned away leaving the Saurian and Human to their own devices.
Walking along the road that went straight to a stairway that went up to the plateau the pair noticed many of the people in the town seemed to wear the similar clothing to the men that approached them, it became apparent why as sheep seemed to be all the people dealt with.
As they reached the bottom of the stairs there were a pair of guards like those they’d already met, these two a pair of female Krijn wielding bronze axes and round wooden shields.
Stepping in the way the women spoke at the same time. “King Tiamat demands respect from all who approach! Kneel, and lay down your arms!”
Sharing a look with one another the Human and Saurian complied, laying their weapons on the ground with one of the guardsmen coming forward to collect them before setting them aside. Raising their heads they waited for their next instruction-
“Approach the King and they will deen whether you are worthy of a response.”
Walking up the flight of twenty odd stairs Marduk reached the top and found himself in front of the Hydra whose size was easily three times Orche’s making him feel even more miniscule as his heart raced and his mind spun-
And then one of the heads eyes opened stair straight at him as its mess of tangled necks unfurled and the closest head, the middle of the seven, opened its mouth a deep visceral bellow of air that could be construed as a sigh slammed into him.
“A Child approaches his mother full of fear and hesitant of her, such a thing will cause harm.” A deep sultry woman's voice erupted from the Hydra in Suran.
“M-mother?” He stuttered out in confusion as he’d far from expected the monster to speak in his language.
“Indeed, Ugahllu, Lahgamu, Kusrakiku and Mushmamu are my progeny, as such I consider you as my own as well.” The enormous Hydra answered.
Marduk felt something in his heart and mind flicker as she spoke the names, they translated to the names of the four great beings.
“Now that you are familiar with your heritage, I see Mushmamu’s aura coats your scales, my daughter thinks you above others for good reason. What would the chosen of my daughter ask?” The more she spoke the more his mind turned to mush, almost unable to comprehend what he was hearing.
“I- uh.. You- I- wanted to know if you knew about my arrival and if anyone came here with me?” He asked in Suran, unsure of how to phrase his already awkward question.
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“Hmm” A grumbling noise shook Marduk to his core as the Hydra contemplated his question.
Five of her heads which had been idly watching the town around them until now suddenly focussed on him intently with light flashing in their glistening burgundy coloured eyes, necks and heads casting enormous shadows over the whole plateau. The remaining head changed from sleeping to watching the town in their place so that six of the seven heads were now watching him.
“You have spoken with the dragon of this?” She asked and he nodded his head before making an affirming noise. “She is here, child of mine. But. Not all souls are drawn to each other in Death, many part with themselves to find anew in such cases as you have.”
‘She’s here?’ He questioned internally.
“Alexandra is here?!” He just about shouted out excitedly feeling a giddiness in his chest not quite understanding the second part of what she said.
When the Hydra spoke next All Seven heads faced him and spoke at the same time with their voice as one and so loud and resounding Marduk was sure the entire plain around the town and beyond could hear her speak.
“We were warned against speaking on matters to come, but this seems an exception- When you befriend the branded and his word is law, you will descend to the warmth of what you seek.”
The words seared themselves into his mind like they had done with Orche’s as he stared up at Tiamats many faces.
“How was it you came to leave my children’s protection?” She asked after a few moments as all but one head returned to watching the world outside their conversation.
“I was exiled.” Marduk answered without pause understanding what the deific monster meant.
“Interesting, how mad they might have been to incite my ire this way.” She commented almost to herself. “You are without a clan and covered in Mushmamu’s aura…” her voice trailed.
‘What’s she thinking about? I feel like I should be better at reading draconic features, we’re not that much different from them.’
Leaning forward the Hydra’s head came within a metre of him, hot breath brushing his scales like blisteringly hot steam, a grumbling noise came from her throat before her mouth opened.
“Accept my kinship and find family in my presence.” Her voice didn’t come from her head but emanated inside Marduk's mind invading it the same way the Goddess of Death’s had the night of the Sabine festival. “You would abandon my daughter's protection for that of mine.”
He wasn’t sure what she said actually meant, but he did feel like it would be an awful idea to accept it without more information. Even if the goddess he and his siblings had served until now and he had met wasn’t actually a god but the child of a monstrous Hydra, it still felt wrong to abandon them.
“Why would I?” He asked dumbly, eliciting a bark of crude laughter from the monster.
“My deals are not made so lightly, that curse, the one she has placed on you, you would be free of it. My mark is nothing so vile as to hurt you for small benefits, such is the way of a malformed child.”
“She cursed me?” The Saurian would have frowned if it were physically possible.
“Yes,” She affirmed out loud.
“How?”
“Death radiates from your pores, bringing it to those around you, you are marked with taint of their souls- do not think her good, she wants to collect all who she can using you as an instrument for this.” Her answer drew his mind into a mess of twisting memories as he tried to make sense of it.
“I really am cursed…” His voice was pained and unnatural sounding as it bordered on human with almost no hoarse Saurian gravelines to it.
He placed his hand on the stump of his arm taking a deep breath.
…
‘I don’t know what to do’ Marduk’s worried thoughts clouded his mind. ‘This doesn’t feel right… but- but if what she said is true.. I’ve been Zäna’s puppet and weapon since the moment I left the village.’
…
In a moment of concentrated fear of the unknown Marduk didn’t even realise the niggling part of his mind that controlled his emotions, the way he thought and kept him in control parted from him completely.
“I accept your offer.” He decided after almost ten minutes of thinking.
All seven heads returned their attention to him silently with the main of them still very close, it opened its mouth, he thought to speak-
Only for the Hydra’s mouth to clamp down around his chest.